In the last couple of years, three beautiful performing arts venues
have helped make Windham County a veritable epicenter of live theater,
all the result of ample community vision, including the Bellows Falls
Opera House's massive restoration, the New England Youth Theatre's new
digs in Brattleboro and the gleaming Horowitz Performing Arts Hall,
built from the ground up on the Vermont Academy campus in Saxtons River.
Since opening its doors just about a year ago, the Horowitz — and, more specifically, the 350-seat Nita Choukas Theater within — has been grabbing my attention on a regular basis with an ever-compelling roster of events that range from lectures by first-time authors and rising stars to presentations by seasoned actors and sage politicians. Though ensconced up on a hill amidst VA's handsome grounds, the theater opens all its events to the public and I can attest that the experience of seeing a performance or speaker there is a delightful one.
Horowitz Hall, a 14,000-square-foot modern space designed by Michael Rosenfeld, Inc., has a light-filled lobby that also serves as a gallery space for visual arts exhibits and the building will eventually boast art studios as well when the second phase of the project is completed.
The centerpiece of the building is the bright and inviting Choukas Theater, which is big enough to accommodate full theatrical productions but small enough to make every event an intimate experience. The somewhat steep slope of the house affords excellent sightlines from any vantage point, which is something I greatly appreciate about so many small theaters being built these days, as that pronounced rake makes the entire experience more inclusive regardless of seat location.
Actors are able to access aisles as well, allowing players to venture closer to the audience at key points in the show, a decidedly "Sensurround" device that brings the storyline to life yet further. When I caught a rousing production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" last fall, singers and dancers moved between seating sections, rendering their ebullience — and the already phenomenal acoustics —that much more vivid.
The last time I'd experienced that kind of blurring between stage and audience was when I saw Isabella Rossellini and Richard Thomas in a production of "The Stendhal Syndrome" at Primary Stages in New York City a couple of years ago. At the end of the second act, Thomas, in the role of a blustery conductor whose marriage is crumbling, stood at his podium and "conducted" us, the audience, as if we were his orchestra. All the while, Rossellini perched over the scene in a small balcony, observing him along with the rest of us as he ranted to himself about her. As in "Joseph," it was a marvelous example of how intimate theatrical spaces can afford a level of versatility that larger ones cannot and I look forward to future productions at the Choukas that will further explore such spatial innovation.
Another core value of the Nita Choukas Theater is its location and attendant role in the nurturing and edification of future generations. While the remarkably varied calendar of events is a superb cultural resource for the public at large, appearances by consummate performers, writers and other notables also offer a rare educational opportunity for students from VA and elsewhere.
Scanning the spring schedule, it becomes clear that many of the speaker events are specifically geared toward young people because they're slated for daytime appearances and are integrated into the curriculum. Regardless of time, these events are also open to the public and pertinent to anyone and everyone who seeks to learn more about the world through the expert insights of people who have experienced challenges and triumphs first hand.
Next month, for instance, Lourdes Moran, a member of the New Orleans School Board, will speak about rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and, in March, Joseph Sebarenzi, a former speaker in the Rwandan Parliament, will talk about the genocide against his Tutsi brethren, his work in restorative justice and the power of forgiveness. April brings Kris Holloway, a former member of the Peace Corps who wrote an exquisite book about her experience observing and assisting a midwife in Mali.
Along with speakers, there are masterful theatrical entertainers bestowing their prowess upon this thriving community of culture-vultures as well, including NEYT members in an unusual production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," the Windham Orchestra and the Lawrence High School Girls' Ensemble, whose repertoire is comprised of compositions by women.
Friday night a remarkable musician will be taking the Nita Choukas Theater stage and — whether you're a kid who takes piano lessons, an accomplished adult musician or simply a jazz fan — it's an evening not to be missed.
Ben Stepner, a 19-year-old pianist and composer from Newton, Mass., has been playing since he was 6 years old and, now studying jazz at the New England Conservatory and appearing regularly throughout Boston, he has performed in numerous distinguished venues, including the Berklee Performance Center, The Museum of Fine Arts, Zeitgeist Gallery, Regattabar and Ryles.
Upon hearing Stepner's new CD, "19 Pieces For Piano," from his label Pure Potentiality Records, I was instantly struck by the emotive lines, complex melodies and depths of tone emanating from such a young person. His compositions resonate with a sublime certitude, sagacity and grace, no doubt the product of having been raised by professional musicians during a childhood steeped in studies with eminent jazz artists such as Fred Hersch, Danilo Perez and Phil Grenadier.
There is a wry erudition in Stepner's aesthetic, which comes through in both his music and its monikers, with song titles that put the listener in deep thought before one note has been played.
Names such as "Emulsion", "Perceptions", "The Nature of Sound" and "Egotism vs. Altruism" already had me thinking of my favorite French composer, Erik Satie, whose works include "Chilled Pieces," "Automatic Descriptions," "Vexations" and "Interruption." Listening to Stepner's enigmatic "Universe Stopped" — a sparse, meditative piece filled with negative spaces, a slow, glowing pulse and inquisitive key-changes — I felt sure Satie must be a fond favorite.
"I learned Satie's 'Gymnopédies #1' last year at Oberlin," Stepner said when we spoke recently, "but I actually wrote 'Universe Stopped' before that."
No surprise. He inhabits his own musical universe, writing masterful compositions in a number of genres that reveal a rare acumen and creative fearlessness. The result is a remarkable command of everything from Blue Note jazz and vintage Motown to bold, agile hip-hop, revealing influences that cover a broad swath of music history.
"Some of my favorites growing up were The Beatles, Thelonious Monk and Radiohead," he attests, "and in the last few years, I discovered Ornette Coleman, Prince and Morton Feldman. But if you really want to know, this year has been a huge hip-hop phase for me. I'm obsessed with Lil' Wayne, whose music has led me to a deeper appreciation of rap in general."
Playing his own pieces, along with standards by legends such as Monk, Billy Strayhorn, Stevie Wonder and Sam Rivers — with bass accompaniment by VA instructor Steve Cady — Stepner's performance Friday night is going to have plenty of something for everyone. Kids, especially, will be inspired to see the conviction, courage and brilliance of this down-to-earth yet clearly irrepressible young man.
Online: www.benstepner.com
www.vermontacademy.org/speakersandperformances
Annie: www.annieguyoncommunications.com
Who knew Vermont had its own private army? It's not your average force
but it's a mighty one, which summons a brand of fearlessness most of us
assume we do not possess, conquering terrain the typical citizen dare
not tread upon and looking death calmly in the face on a regular basis.
It's called hospice, a brave brigade of folks who take time out of
their lives to help make the experience of dying a peaceful, private
and enriching process for patients, caregivers and loved ones.
And, like so many aspects of Vermont culture, hospice isn't one-dimensional, for its participants wear many hats, often integrating personal talents and passions into the remarkably generous, soulful work they do with families experiencing an imminent loss.
Filmmaker Camilla Rockwell, who is based in Burlington, is one of these intrepid artists, a visionary woman who has not only surmounted the trepidation so many of us have around the issue of death by becoming a hospice volunteer but who has also utilized her creative acumen to illuminate and celebrate what is a universal and ever-timely topic.
A 14-year veteran at Florentine Films, the production company of documentary guru Ken Burns, Rockwell set out on her own 10 years ago and her latest film, "Holding Our Own: Embracing The End of Life," looks at aging and dying through a bold yet compassionate lens, with a focus on how art can enhance the journey.
The film explores the remarkably reverent, meticulous portraits of the dying that renowned local fiber artist Deidre Scherer creates and the positively divine intonations of Hallowell, a Windham County choral group that devotes most of its musical artistry to hospice, following both artist and singers from bedside to bereavement.
A week from today, on Thursday, April 5, there will be a screening and discussion of the film at 8 p.m. at the Latchis Theater in Brattleboro, benefiting Brattleboro Hospice Services and featuring a live performance by Hallowell, which is itself an entirely transformative experience you don't want to miss.
When I asked Rockwell how she came to make a film about hospice work, she said "I just wanted to face aging and dying and all my anxieties around it, so I decided that, rather than running away from it, I'd just dive in and focus on it."
So she embarked on a hospice volunteer training program and, after learning of Scherer and Hallowell and how they augment the dying process with their visual and aural artistry, decided to make a documentary about this unusual fusion of life's most profound experience with creative expression.
"Just being able to work with Deidre and Hallowell made me feel more committed," Rockwell said. "I was thrilled about how they bring art and music into hospice services."
Scherer, a consummate craftswoman whose work deftly straddles the line between fine art and fabric mastery, is to sewing what Chuck Close is to painting. Her vibrant, exquisitely complex figures have been shown in fine art, science and craft museums around the world and, without question, merit scholarly appreciation from each discipline.
As the depth and detail of her work suggests, Scherer's path to the elderly took shape early on.
"I remember as a kid looking with wonder at my great-grandfather, who was in his 90s", she said. "Later, it became evident in my art that there was a pull there and I wanted to be open to my biases and fears, as well as a celebration, of aging."
Add to that influence the fact that her father - who is now 92 - was a diorama painter for New York's American Museum of Natural History and it's obvious that Scherer's very DNA is coded with artistic prowess, making this merging of skill and sentiment a perfect amalgam.
Already deeply honored by the invitation to sketch her often frail models, having Rockwell document this close relationship with her subjects has great meaning for Scherer, as does the overall collaborative process of working with fellow artists like Hallowell.
"It's about taking two art forms and using them for a similar purpose, to witness and be present during this amazing transition" she affirms, adding "I listen with my pencil."
The musical element spoke to Rockwell as well, so much so that she's now a member of one of the many sister hospice choirs that exist in Vermont, devoting her voice to making death more tranquil and positive.
Rockwell also had a personal impetus in becoming a part of hospice and sees it as a family philosophy. "When my father died, hospice came in and it made it much easier", she said. "My sister was also a hospice nurse and now my mother, who's 82, is a hospice volunteer."
Susan Parris, executive director of Brattleboro Hospice Services for the past 11 years, also came to hospice work through personal experience.
"It made a huge difference for my family," she attests. "I'd always had a huge curiosity about death and, after going on that journey with my father, I signed up for the volunteer training."
Brattleboro Hospice Services serves approximately 80 families a year with hospice care and more than 700 individuals with counseling. Founded in 1979, it offers everything from companionship to the dying and respite for loved ones, to loans of hospital beds and transportation to appointments.
The volunteer training at Brattleboro Hospice Services is, according to Parris, the most comprehensive in the country and presents various options to volunteers, including walking patients' dogs, cooking meals, emotional support for loved ones and end-of-life vigils.
Having been a beneficiary of hospice services when my mother passed way, I've experienced the tremendous strength and encouragement these folks bring to the families they serve.
I recall one very difficult night when I called the hospice at 3 a.m., out of concern for my mother's comfort. The on-call volunteer appeared 20 minutes later, bleary eyed but perceptibly sensitive to what we were enduring.
After increasing Mum's pain medication, she stood with her arms around us and said quietly "What you're doing for your mother - allowing her to be here, in her own living room, surrounded by her family - is the greatest gift you can give her … and you're doing a wonderful job."
It was exactly what we needed: Someone who'd done this before to basically pat us on the head and assure us that we were doing right by our mother.
I'd never experienced that potency of unconditional support and tenderness before. The only thing possibly missing from that life-changing experience was the caring creativity of someone like Scherer or the emotive tones of hospice singers such as Hallowell.
Kathy Leo, Hallowell's artistic director, describes the meaning of their work. "For us, it is a great honor to be invited into the intimate space of one's passing, of a family's well of grief and to be able to sing songs of healing and grace into this space."
Hallowell's richly layered original compositions, American shape-note songs, international harmonies and traditional hymns create a soothing environment for families, often instigating a release of emotion that may otherwise remain bottled up.
One of Hallowell's original songs, named after the choir, poignantly articulates the message they seek to impart:
I thought when someone died,
the spirit flew over furthest field.
Now I see death will leave behind
a scrap of light, a broken smile,
the remnants by which
I might be healed.
Rockwell captures her motivation with equal eloquence. "Our culture does not talk about death well and that is what this film is all about."
Alfred Hitchcock once said, "In feature films, the
director is God; in documentary films, God is the director." Somehow I
feel sure the subject of the recently released documentary, "Al Franken:
God Spoke," would beg to differ. Regardless of one's
spiritual or partisan
leanings, it's fairly evident to anyone who knows the difference between a scud
and a chad that Franken - pundit, comedic craftsman and potential 2008 U.S.
Senate candidate - has a strong calling to scrutinize and satirize the inner
workings of the political process.
"God Spoke" is the result of filmmakers Nick Doob and Chris Hegedus'
intrepid shadowing of Franken as he trekked through a two-year period from book
signings to rallies to forays into enemy territory, such as the 2004 Republican
convention and the Bill O'Reilly show.
Since Franken is known for being an irreverent and outspoken champion of
independent thought, it makes perfect sense that "God Spoke" is being
screened as a benefit for another bastion of unconventional aplomb, WOOL 100.1
FM Black Sheep Radio, a delightfully eclectic indie station in
The event, which takes place Nov. 9 at the Bellows Falls Opera House, kicks off WOOL's annual capital campaign and dovetails with its membership drive, both of which will further develop the station's technology and train more members of the community to be DJs.
"WOOL is almost entirely funded by its membership and the occasional additional fund-raising effort like this gives us a real shot in the arm," said WOOL board member Gary Smith. "In addition, Franken's stint on Air America radio is now very popular, so the tie-in with community radio is a natural."
Known for a colorful comedic career that includes "Saturday Night Live" stardom and several top-selling books, including "Lies and the Lying Liars That Tell Them," Franken has immersed himself in the political realm as commentator, critic and, according to his Web site, potential future senator representing his home state of Minnesota.
Election hopes notwithstanding, his plainspoken humor has usually elicited bipartisan appreciation.
One of Franken's more memorable television triumphs was an ongoing skit with self-described former right-winger Arianna Huffington on Bill Maher's controversial television show "Politically Incorrect," in which he and Huffington literally became political bedfellows, covering the 1996 presidential campaign from a huge red, white and blue bed.
He, the scholarly liberal, and she, the erudite conservative, engaged in a pointed and astute faux-adversarial repartee, though Huffington has since gone over to what she describes as compassionate progressive populism.
Franken himself has always been firmly planted on the far left side of the mattress and has explained his current crusade with simple defiance. "I take what they say and use it against them. What I do is jujitsu. They say something ridiculous and I subject them to scorn and ridicule. That's my job."
Bold stuff from the same guy who created the endearingly fey, ceaselessly self-helping Stuart Smalley on SNL, who would gaze wide-eyed into his enabling mirror and tentatively declare "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and gosh-darn it, people like me."
His creation of Smalley helped put Franken on the pop-culture map and that character continues to enjoy his own loyal, though probably woefully co-dependent, fan base.
With some heavy-hitting, creative industry clout behind it, "God Spoke" is likely to add to Franken's distinction as a politcult phenomenon.
Its executive producer is D.A. Pennebaker who, along with Hegedus, co-directed
"The War Room," a brutally honest documentary on Clinton's
1992 campaign, but who more famously made "Don't Look Back," the
compelling documentary that followed Bob Dylan on his 1965 tour of
Just about every side of the political spectrum is represented in "God Spoke" - from Walter Mondale, Henry Kissinger and Ann Coulter to Michael Moore, Al Gore and Stuart Smalley himself - pretty much guaranteeing that it'll be, if nothing else, thought-provoking.
Considering that the film is being shown on a very limited basis around the
country, in venues such as NYC's Lincoln Center Cinema and San Francisco's Opera House Theatre, WOOL-FM has scored a
major coup by bringing this film to
As you pass through the lobby on the ninth, look for their information table and consider becoming a member, buying a cool black sheep T-shirt or just making a donation to help them continue their admirable advocacy of Vermont's innovative thought and independent ears.
Tickets are $10 and available at Bulls Eye Music and Village Square Booksellers in Bellows Falls and online at www.wool.fm.
Contact Anne Lawrence Guyon at [email protected].
Independent radio cultivates community
Today's column is dedicated to the memory of
Bill "The Human" Sheridan
July 24, 1957 - August 19, 2007
Having been raised by a farmer — whose use of the term "broadcasting" (as in seeds) seemed an ideal way to describe the transmission of audio entertainment to the masses in 1909 — Herrold is credited with being the first person to propagate regular musical broadcasts on the airwaves. For that reason alone, he's a full-fledged hero in my book, as are the visionaries before him — Edison, Tesla, Marconi, etc. — whose inventions allowed Herrold to become an avid Victrola-wielding disc jockey.
Another hero of mine was one of independent radio's most staunch supporters who, in his words, "always felt that the radio provided an intimacy that one simply doesn't get from television" and whose dulcet tones as a delightfully engaging DJ anointed the airwaves for far too short a time: Bill Sheridan, lifelong champion of radio, astute social commentator and a dear friend who recently and very unexpectedly passed away.
Bill personified the philosophy upon which so many independent radio stations seem to be founded. He was sagacious, inquisitive, informative and forward-thinking, with a sharp wit, an understated savvy and a respectful, gentle delivery — not to mention a steadfast love for music that was informed by both a veneration of vintage sounds and a zeal for trailblazing genres.
Bill's passion for soaking up and disseminating pivotal information began at a young age, and radio played a central role. In a letter he wrote just a few months ago, he expounded on his formative years as a radio fan.
"My boyhood home in Hollywood was just a few blocks away from the KHJ broadcast studios on Melrose Avenue. If you had been standing outside the studio on a Wednesday afternoon at about 3:10 p.m. on a school day in 1966 or 1967, you most likely would have seen little Billy Sheridan pull up and hop off his Schwinn stingray bicycle long enough to run in and grab a copy of the Top 30 at the receptionist's counter. Then I would peddle home and spend the afternoon memorizing the list."
Years later Bill became a DJ at a small station on Catalina Island, spinning gems by R&B gods like James Brown, Otis Redding, Van Morrison and Stevie Wonder, with new-wave faves such as Tom Tom Club and The Motels thrown in. I was tickled to hear him say on the air one night, "This one's for our good friend Annie in Vermont, who listens online."
Bill's unwavering commitment to exposing his listeners to high-caliber tunes and informative dispatches that encouraged civic participation was representative of everything I cherish about small, community radio and here in Southern Vermont we're lucky enough to have a handful of top-notch, hands-on stations that similarly enrich our lives both musically and socially, every day.
Brattleboro's WTSA, owned by Bill Corbeil, is one of a very few privately run stations in the state and it offers that same refreshing brand of self-governing, community-minded broadcasting. Corbeil's professional philosophy is grounded in innovation and involvement, with neighborhood pride and experiential roots that go plenty deep.
"I was born and raised in Brattleboro," he said during a recent conversation, "and after high school I interned at WTSA and got the radio bug. Then after college I worked at WIZN for 10 years and when I returned down here, WTSA became available for purchase."
Armed with new programming ideas — including adult contemporary music as well as local and national news, sports and weather — along with a fervent focus on giving back to his hometown, he bought WTSA 96.7 FM and 1450 AM, and began putting his own enthusiastic imprint on the station.
"We have a full-time news team because we really saw a need for community reporting," Corbeil said. "Nine times out of 10, we're breaking stories before the newspapers can, so we have a huge commitment to local news. Not many stations that aren't all news talk have local coverage."
WTSA also provides an unbiased forum wherein elected officials can discuss pertinent political topics. "Bernie Sanders, Leahy, the governor, they all have a direct line to our studios and they use it because they know we're the voice of Windham County."
On the entertainment side, WTSA plays a broad range of rock, from Barenaked Ladies, Keane and No Doubt to Prince, The Police and Smash Mouth, according to the tastes of each particular DJ.
"We choose our own music," asserted Corbeil. "There's no corporation that comes in here and dictates the playlist as you'll find in the Clear Channels or Sagas of the world. It's a dream for me. I've worked for Clear Channel and some of the larger groups and have had the benefit of seeing the pros and cons of both."
While music and local news are core programming for WTSA, Corbeil is just as dedicated to investing in the betterment of his community through various charitable and incentive programs. To that end, WTSA sponsors Project Feed the Thousands as well as a Student of the Month, a Community Person of the Month and a bulletin board that lists events benefiting the community on every front from blood drives and youth programs to computer classes and art walks.
"In independent radio you can be so much more flexible," he attests. "If there's a local charity event, everything is at my discretion and that really benefits the community. There's a real neat local weave of this basket here. We all see each other at Little League games and in the grocery store and we have personal relationships with listeners."
Those connective threads will soon be weaving WTSA with a bit of its own past, as the station is poised to be moving from its current Western Avenue site back to Putney Road where it was originally located. Corbeil is thrilled about the new digs.
"We're building a whole new facility next to the Marina Restaurant," he enthused, "with a beautiful view of the Marina which has become such a hub of activity. Engineers are installing all new technology equipment this week and we're increasing our work space to four studios."
Corbeil said they'll start broadcasting from the new location next month and are planning a grand opening in the spring.
"Our programming will maintain the adult contemporary musical format and we'll also be enhancing news and sports coverage on AM."
Clearly, even amidst the station's expansion, Corbeil is maintaining his original vision for WTSA, including his own multitasking role.
"It's a small market station," he reflected, "so we all wear many hats. I'm a DJ, too."
My old pal Bill would heartily applaud WTSA for continuing to cultivate an independent radio station that plays great music, encourages civic participation and which provides a regular forum for local politicians — particularly Bernie Sanders, who was one of his heroes.
And Bill Sheridan was one of mine.
Note: No Sover next week as I'll be on the left coast for a three-day, R&B-filled memorial celebration of his life.
Online: www.wtsa.net
Annie: annieguyoncommunications.com
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